Libya: Nightmarish Detention for Migrants, Asylum Seekers

EU and Italy Bear Responsibility, Should Condition Cooperation

(Brussels, January 21, 2019) – European
Union policies contribute to a cycle of extreme abuse against migrants in Libya,
Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The EU and Italy’s support
for the Libyan Coast Guard contributes significantly to the interception of
migrants and asylum seekers and their subsequent detention in arbitrary,
abusive detention in Libya.

The 64-page report, “No Escape from
Hell: EU Policies Contribute to Abuse of Migrants in Libya,” documents severe
overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, malnutrition, and lack of adequate health care.
Human Rights Watch found violent abuse by guards in four official detention
centers in western Libya, including beatings and whippings. Human Rights Watch
witnessed large numbers of children, including newborns, detained in grossly
unsuitable conditions in three out of the four detention centers. Almost 20 percent
of those who reached Europe by sea from Libya in 2018 were children.